LETTER: Keeping Perspective

To the Editor:

Conservatives are supposed to be rational and level headed but that is not always the case. Let me tell you my story and decide for yourself.

New York state has changed its election law and now requires all political parties to collect nominating petitions in March. So, with this change, the local city of Utica Republican Party had to scurry to recruit candidates to run for office in the local elections. Since I ran in 2017 for city council everyone wanted me to run again. I refused. So, the city Republican Committee endorsed someone else, who I believe to be an excellent candidate.

Well, at a meeting at the Republican Chairman’s office, I was forced to witness a shouting match for over 25 minutes by a relative of one of the candidates over the issue of abortion. Can you believe this absurdity?

There is absolutely nothing a local candidate or elected city or county official can do about abortion. It is exclusively a state and federal issue. In spite of this I had to suffer through this.

Folks, please try to understand that local elections are about local issues not state nor federal issues.

We all have our particular views on issues, but let us keep things in perspective.